United Civic Party proposes abolishing parliamentary elections

The United Civic Party (UCP) proposes that the government should abolish parliamentary elections in Belarus, the party leader, Anatol Lyabedzka, told reporters in Minsk on Friday.

According to Mr. Lyabedzka, the proposal is contained in a special political statement that the party will send out to the Presidential Administration, the Council of Ministers and the House of Representatives on Monday, August 13.

"Now that the formation of election commissions [for September’s House of Representatives elections] is over, we should call things by their right names: these are pseudo-elections for a pseudo parliament," Mr. Lyabedzka said. "Now the question emerges as to why we need an institution whose members are appointed, not elected, consume a lot of money of taxpayers, are responsible for nothing and initiate only one law in four years."

In this regard, it would be better to form such a parliament without conducting any election and save huge public funds, Mr. Lyabedzka said.